Heta-Tale: Let Me be Your Hero
by HetaliaUSUKcp-MomoChan
Summary: USCan (brothers) Long ago, in a land far away, five kingdoms remained at war. But one day, the UK accepted two new princes into their lives; Alfred and Matthew. Before their second birthday, thieves of an enemy kingdom kidnapped the child to bring to their king, but instead kept him as their own. 16 years later, the two meet, never knowing each other, only to find their destinies.
1. Chapter 1

_Let me be your Hero _

(Intro)

Once upon a time, long long ago, in a land far far away, five kingdoms lived among each other. The Kingdom of Rus led by King Ivan, The United Kingdom led by King Arthur, The Frandic Territory led by Sir Mathis, The Chi-Empire led by Emperor Yao, and the Germaine Kingdom led by Sir Gilbert. These kingdoms lived in war though, always attacking one another, never having peace for centuries. The Kingdom of Rus always wanted control and so continued to attack all the kingdoms. Germaine has always fought back as well as attacking Frandic as well as a one-sided war against the UK. Frandic seemed to only be at war with the UK, lasting for centuries before any other war. Chi constantly tries to avoid all wars and trades, isolating it's self from everyone….

Our story focuses on the United Kingdom, it's people and royal family, all led by king Arthur Kirkland.

They tried their best to live in peace, but most boys by the age of eighteen were enlisted in their royal army for at least five years, the army was the best of the five kingdoms. King Arthur was in control of the UK since he turned the young age of twelve. He married at sixteen to a beautiful young maiden by the name of Amelia and the people greatly accepted her as their queen. Years and years began to past as peasants expected a young prince or princess to come into the royal family, but one never came. Over and over again the two tried to conceive a child, a heir to the thrown. Each time was as useless as the last.

But a few years more as Arthur came home from their war, he was greeted by his wife with a blissful smile. He looked as Amelia held her hands on her stomach, he began to smile and the two laughed in delight, their lips met, and Arthur lifted her in the air, twirling her around. Months began to past like days as the queen rested for her child's birth. They had hired a doctor who had claimed to specialize in child birth, a young man with the brightest blonde hair that reached to his shoulders, to check on the birth, along with a young magician by the name of Lukas; they smiled a bit. "Two hearts," the blonde man said, "Two hearts beat together." Two heirs were to be expected for the first time in the UK's existence; the king and queen couldn't be happier.

The people celebrated the coming births, offering what they could, hosting parades, dances, songs, poems, everything they could do they did to honor these children. More time began to past, just a month before the children were expected, and the most dreadful news rung through Arthur's ears.

"There is a strong possibility she will not survive the birth." The doctor has said. Arthur's heart shattered into a million pieces with just the thought of losing his love, he couldn't bear it. Amelia smiled though and weakly held her husband's hand.

"As long as the children are safe." She stated. "All I want if for them to be safe, alive." She wiped her husband's tears away. "And you must promise me this, if I am to die and leave my children, you shall live on and protect them with your strength, give them all the love in your heart, and help them grow to be noble people." Arthur smiled a bit and kissed her hand, promising on his life that he would do this if, and only if, she was to die.

Just two days later, she began to give birth, almost a month too early. She pushed and pushed, screamed and cried, giving whatever strength she had for these children. Doctors surrounded her, the blonde man with no name, Lukas, their maid Alice who was in charge of anything that involved the children, another young lady with her long brown hair pulled back who had named herself Michelle, and a Asian doctor by the name of Kiku who had escaped the Chi-Empire to be more help to others. They all surrounded and helped the queen as she gave everything she could, all the king could do is hold her hand and pray, hope for the best. For the first time in his life, the situation was out of his control. He closed his eyes and prayed as his wife screamed and their hands gripped around each other.

The screaming stopped and she gasped for breath, the sound of crying filled the room. Arthur opened his eyes and looked as Alice cleaned the baby off and wrapped him in a towel. Amelia looked toward Arthur, "It's a boy." He told her, he could see Alice smile at him. "A healthy baby boy." He smiled. Amelia smiled weakly but continued to breath heavy.

"Alfred," she whispered in a dull voice. "His name is Alfred."

"Alfred is perfect, Alfred it s." Arthur said, he looked down toward the doctors as they peeked in. "T-There's two children." The doctors talked, saying the cord was wrapped around the other child's neck, Arthur could overhear their conversation of what to do.

"What's wrong?" Amelia questioned. "Where's my child? Why is there no second cry?" Arthur tightened his grip on her hand. "Where's my child?" Kiku directed her to push again and she tried, screaming once again with more pain. Slowly, they took the child out but there was not a single cry. Amelia began to cry and question about her child once more as Kiku and the blonde man tried to help the small child. Arthur tried his best to calm Amelia as Alice tried as well, bringing over Alfred for her to see, to distract her as Michelle tried to stop her heavy bleeding. Amelia tried reaching for the small child, Alfred trying to reach back and even smiling at his mother, but her mind couldn't be taken away from the concern of her other child. She was too weak and hand to put her hands down and began closing her eyes as Arthur desperately tried to keep her awake. Just as her smile faded, a soft cry filled the room. Amelia opened her eyes for the last time and smiled at Arthur.

"Matthew," she whispered. She took her last breath and her hand slipped from Arthur's, though he tried to hold on…..

Months began to pass after the queen's funeral, Arthur seemed to change after that; he didn't once look at the two children. Alice took care of them, both healthy and happy, giggling and smiling all the time, three days before the children's second birthday. Alice was beginning to place the two into their bed, singing the small song their mother had for months when the children were inside her, the song that had been passed down through the family for years:

_This will become our final stand_

_Blades are dripping with crimson blood _

_Endless suffering I can't stop _

_How I wish that I could help _

_I will not fade _

_I will step up _

_I'll discover the true meaning _

_Of the word "sacrifice" _

_Please let me become your "Hero" _

_I'll protect you my dearest friend _

_I will give my all _

She sung the words out in her softest voice, which she wasn't so used too, and could never finish most of the song because she never had learned it, just those few words. The two boys were slowly falling asleep as the king came in, peeking over the bed at the two boys for one of the first times. Alice gulped a bit and looked at him in shock. "That song, it always puts them to sleep?" He questioned quietly.

"Y-Yes sir." Alice nodded. Arthur smiled a bit and walked over to the side of their bed. He looked down at Alfred fast asleep, then bent over and kissed his forehead. He walked over to the other side, looked at Matthew, and kissed his forehead as well. He smiled.

"Happy birthday my little angels." He smiled.

Night settled over the kingdom, most of the villages were asleep by now. The king had fallen asleep in his bed, the rest of the castle's workers had been asleep for a while now, all except for the guards who watched at every door, especially when it came to the king and the children. But one pair of guards wasn't doing their jobs….

The window creaked open in the princes' room, the curtains flying with the breeze it had let it. Alfred grabbed onto Matthew's hand more tightly and cuddled up to him, trying to hide from the cold. As they slept, two thieves came in through the window. A woman with her brown hair pulled back and a clock on her with a hood, covering her face. A man with bright blonde hair, the unnamed man who had helped Amelia give birth, a clock covering himself as well. He slowly sneaked in and around to the side of the best as the woman went to the other side. He looked at her, "Which one?" his accent made it hard for him to be understood when he was quiet. The woman gave him a glare and shrugged.

"Just take one and let's go, the guards won't be out for too long." She said. The man began to pick up the small prince, his hand letting go of his brothers which immediately woke him up. Alfred began to scream and cry as the woman quickly covered his mouth. The blonde man wrapped the child in a blanket as he cried and fought to get out and quickly began to run back toward the window, knocking over the table that held the artifacts of their mother. The woman covered the blankets over Alfred and took off out the window with the man, jumping off the balcony and onto the roof. The guards ran into the room but it seemed to be too late, they quickly alerted the rest of the castle. Guards rushed around to find the two kidnappers, running as fast as they could to cut them off at the exit. One ran past and saw the two hooded figures; he quickly yelled for them to them to halt, only making the two run faster.

The castle was like a maze, they slid at every twist and turn but finally managed to head for the closing gate. The guards yelled to shut it as they tried their best to go as fast as they could but it was too late, the two kidnappers had slid under the gate, just making it. They continued running through the villages until they got to the forest, running in and never turning back or stopping no matter how exhausted they got. They slide back into the underground hole they had dugged to get in under the tall wooden gate that separated the two kingdoms of United Kingdom and Frandic. They ran into their own village and almost collapsed to the ground. The blonde man unwrapped the child who had stayed silent this entire time, but now began to cry.

"Shhhh!" The man tried to hush the child.

"Francis come on, we have to take him to Mathis." She smiled. "The king will be happy of what we did, stealing a prince from that dreaded kingdom… his head will make a great trophy!"

"He's a child…" Francis said, the girl only titled her head at him. "Elizaveta, he's just a child. He didn't ask to be born into that life, it's not his fault."

"What the hell are you saying! ? You know our plan! We were to take that child and bring him to King Mathis! A sacrifice! Nothing more!"

"Look at his eyes…" Francis held the child and looked at him, even smiling a bit. Matthew smiled, even giggled, and even reached for the strange man in front of him. "It's not his fault… and all children deserve a life…"

"So what are you saying? We bring him back or we keep him or what! ?"

"I will take him, there's no way we could bring him back now." Francis snuggled the small child. "I'll take him as my son."

"Oh yeah? And who's the mother? The king won't allow this."

"I'll say you brought him over when you came from Germaine." Francis said. "Please, we can't end his life… he's so small… he barely had a chance to live yet, all children, even if their born on an enemy's side, all precious things… his mother died giving birth to him after all…he almost died…" Elizaveta crossed her arms. "I can't let him die… please…" She sighed.

"Your damn speeches." She said. Francis smiled and snuggled the child. "Just don't push it, don't let the UK king know about this."

"He won't, he'll never find out." Francis looked at the young child. "Hello Matthieu~! I'm your papa, okay?" Matthew giggled a bit. "It's going to be okay, I promise…"

OOO

Months began to pass as any information of the stolen prince never came. Arthur's heart was once again shattered, first losing his love then the child they had both wanted so bad, the child he had ignored for the first two years of his life, or _almost_ two years anyway. It seems, he was always too late, nothing was in his control. A year passed and the day he was taken came around once more, Alfred laid in bed with the windows locked and covered in bricks, covered so no one could ever touch Arthur's other son. He sung to the child every night now, tucked him in and always kissed him good night. The day this child's brother disappeared was the day they decided to light the sky. This day every year showed the sorrow of the people, they would burn candles in front of their houses. Every night once it began to get dark, they would put the burning candles into lanterns and set them into the air, along with their prayers of the young son coming back. War went on between UK and Frandic after the child's disappearance, getting worse and worse each year.

On one side of the wooden fence, a young prince grew up happily, running around the castle, tricking the guards and his nanny, becoming a perfectly behaved prince though once his father left he was wild. He grew up never knowing what was on the outside of the castle walls, his father wouldn't let him know a thing. Even as he got older, Arthur would say good night every night. Once, he even told a story to Alfred on his sixth birthday. He had once had a brother, his brother looked just like him with the brightest eyes like his. But babies couldn't always make it and he had gone with Alfred's mother to the afterlife. Alfred never forgot that story, sometimes he even prayed to his mother and brother, asking how they both were and if they were happy. Though there was never any answer, Alfred felt happy in doing so.

Little did he know on the other side of that wooden fence, the other young prince grew up happily, running around the village with other children, even gaining a small pet he had named "Kumajirou", though he changed the name everyday. He helped his papa tend crops for their king, he sung and laughed about every little thing, he never once felt sad. His hair had grown out like his papa's, bright and beautiful blonde. His eyes sparkled everyday with hope and wonder, no matter what happened that day. Sometimes he would ask his papa about his mother, though Francis never had an actual answer. The truth continued to stay hidden, the boy was better off without ever knowing. He was happy, that's all that mattered.

Never knowing of each other's existence, never venturing out to know, always hidden in secrets, that was their lives. This is where our story begins….

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Thank you for reading~

This is gonna be based off another story I'm working on, two young princes separated. Also, the lullaby, I will say now that the lyrics are someone else's, I'm trying to find the source and once I do that person will receive credit, I'm sorry if it's not right away. I think the lanterns things is based off another thing too, like a Disney movie? Idk

But, here we go, another new story! :D hope you enjoy it!~


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The young prince quickly hid into another room as he turned the corner, letting the guards run right past him and continue chasing the prince that they thought they still had. Alfred peeked out of the door and smiled at their stupidity. He kept in his laughter until he walked out then couldn't hold it anymore, he laughed obnoxiously when he thought the coast was clear. He turned to walk back the other way but froze once he saw his angry father standing there with his arms crossed. "Is this anyway for a prince, especially your age, to be acting in his castle?" Arthur glared. Alfred nervously gulped and scratched the back of his head.

"W-Well, um, you know, uh…" Alfred nervously laughed as Arthur only sighed. "I-I'm sorry father…"

Arthur sighed. "I'm leaving tonight for Germaine. I expect you to be a good boy please?"

"I want to come!" Alfred smiled. "I-It's for the war right? You need soldiers right? I've trained enough! I want to come!"

"No!" Arthur yelled then growled a bit. "I have told you many many times, you are not to go on the battlefield."

"You went on when you were only twelve! Twelve father!" Alfred frowned. "I'm turning nineteen soon and I've never even been outside the castle… I've never seen any of my people and I'm the damn prince here."

"Watch your mouth Alfred." Arthur turned to leave. "You are not leaving. Its dangerous out there."

"So what! ?"

"So I will not lose you Alfred!" Arthur snapped back. "Knowing you, you'll be killed! You're not ready! You're not a solider or a hero like the others!" Alfred frowned, he felt himself getting smaller and smaller compared to Arthur. "Leave it alone. You're not leaving." Arthur quickly turned back and walked away. "I'll see you when I get back." Alfred only nodded and didn't say another word, then walked back to his room with no joy in his steps for once. He climbed up wounding stairs and pushed his door open, walking into the room angrily by now. He slammed the door behind him, which scared his cat so much that he jumped and hid under the pillows of Alfred's bed that he was resting on. Alfred looked over and tried going over, "I'm sorry kitty." He said softly and tried giving a small whistle for the cat to come back. He could hear it meow and purr under the pillows as he took them off one by one. "Here kitty kitty." He took another pillow off to reveal the fluffy cat meowing at him and trying to hide more but Alfred picked him up and put him on his lap, then pet his head a bit. "Good kitty." he kissed the little cat's head and hugged onto him then sighed. The cat looked up at him, sensing there was something wrong, and cuddled up to his chest which made Alfred grin a bit.

"Heh you're the only one around here who actually understands me… and you're a cat." He frowned. "What does that say?…" He placed the cat back on the bed and walked over to the nailed window. Secretly, he had found a way to look out through a lose board on the window. He picked it up and took it off, looking through the free area and out to the view of the beautiful UK village outside the castle, a place where his people loved him but yet he had never met them or even been there. "All these years and I've never met a single person that was outside this damn castle." He mumbled. He moved his eyes toward the great wall that separated the UK and Frandic. "I can't even have a chance to be a hero like dad." He sat down against the wall next to the window and sighed, closing his eyes and thinking a bit. "Unless…."

A bright idea popped into his head and he jumped up. "I can show father!" He said to himself, though the cat was his audience. "I can go out with the group tomorrow when they go to Frandic! I can fight with them! I can prove myself and then maybe he'll let me take responsibility!" The idea was so great that it got his blood flowing and his adrenaline pumping. He grabbed the helmet and covered sword from the corner of his room and jumped up on a chair in the room, helmet on and holding the sword out in a hero's position. "Prince Alfred wins the worst battle in the Frandic war history! He returns a _hero_ to the United Kingdom and his people cheer for him!" He made a mock cheering sound as the cat played along and meowed. He laughed with the thoughts running through his head, he could do this! He could definitely do this!

"Alfred!" A voice yelled through the door as it quickly slammed open. "What is all the noise up he-" The nanny paused once she saw Alfred standing on the sofa, the sword and helmet behind his back. "What are you doing in here?"

"Being spontaneous," Alfred grinned. "Hey! I used that big word~! Reward Alice?"

"Good job Alfred." Alice came in a little more and placed her hands on her hips. "Get down off the chair and stop acting like a child, you are way to old for this."

"Yeah yeah." Alfred jumped off the chair and kept the items behind him. "Whatcha want Alice?"

"It's "what do you want, ms. Alice." Alfred." She corrected. "And I've come to tell you that your father left." She looked around the room for any sigh of what he was doing when she spotted the board off the window. She walked over to it, which gave Alfred time to hide the objects away, and placed her hand on the board, picking it up and placing it back where it was only to see how lose it was. "We're going to have to fix this now." She stated and turned back to Alfred who was now laying on the bed with his cat. She stuck her nose up at him and began to leave. "Dinner will be ready in an hour, please behave until then."

"Yes ma'am Alice." Alfred grinned but Alice only sighed. "Ms. Alice." She corrected before leaving the prince to himself, shutting the door behind her. Alfred laid there on the bed for a moment but as soon as the cost was clear, he got up and made his way to the window, looking out the area of the lose board at the village and it's setting sun. _I'll be a hero… _

OOO

"Papa! I'm home!" Matthew closed the wooden door behind him as he entered the small stone house. He entered the small front room, taking his hat off his head while holding his little polar bear in his arms. He suddenly got excited though and jumped out of Matthew's arms and ran right through the curtain that covered the back room. "Kuma!" Matthew quickly took his shoes off and chased the little bear to the back, only to be scared half to death.

"Surprise!" Francis popped out, scaring Matthew a bit. He grabbed onto the boy's hands and held them though, then hugged onto him as Matthew chuckled. "Happy birthday my son~" He kissed the boy's cheek as he smiled.

"Thank you papa." He grinned as the little bear climbed up on the kitchen table where another surprise was.

"Close your eyes." Francis covered the boy's eyes as he giggled and did it himself. He then directed the boy over to the table and hurried to the side of the boy. "Now open them~" Matthew opened them and smiled with his sight of the gift, a two layer cake covered in white frosting and flower decorations. "The frosting is maple flavored like you wanted."

"I was joking when I said that papa." Matthew smiled and kissed the man's cheek. "But thank you so much!" He hugged onto him.

"No problem Matthieu~" Francis smiled and joked "How old are you now? Ten? Twelve?"

"Nineteen papa!"

"Oh nineteen! Oh how the years go by so quickly!" He hugged onto the boy again. "Sooner or later you'll leave me and get married and have children- oh! You'll have sex! Oh my!"

"P-papa!" Matthew's face turned bright red. "W-Why would you bring that up! ?"

"Well to have kids you have to-"

"I know papa!" Matthew's face got bright red like a cherry. "J-just stop talking about it." He looked back at the cake. "It looks really good though, please tell me you didn't pay for it…"

"I would waste money on you, but no, it is homemade. Elizaveta and the Vargas brothers all pitched in to make it." Francis sat the boy down in a chair. "I tasted the mix, it's good." Matthew giggled.

"Thank you papa. And tell them I said thank you too."

"Well when you do all those things for them, they don't expect a thanks."

"Tell them anyway." Matthew smiled.

"I want some!" Kumajirou popped up onto the table and began digging into the cake, eating it as fast as he could before they took him away. Matthew gasped and grabbed onto him, pulling him away but his face was covered in the frosting already.

"Bears aren't suppose to eat cake!" Matthew wiped his mouth off with a napkin but Kumajirou squirmed around so much in doing so. Francis simply chuckled and kissed Matthew on the head as he cleaned up his little bear.

Night settled in on the village. Matthew burped very quietly after he was finished with that cake. Francis had gone into his room to sleep, ready for another work day tomorrow. Matthew continued to clean up the small kitchen before lifting his tiny bear up and climbing up the ladder that lead to his room, they managed to put it in once Matthew grew into a child. It was cold up there, it was like an attic, but he always had a good view of the outside. He climbed into his tiny room and onto the bed, which really took up the small room; that's how small it really was but he didn't mind. He laid down with his bear climbing onto his chest and making himself comfortable in a ball there. Matthew smiled a bit and laid there but once the bear was asleep, he moved him onto the bed and sat up. He opened the shade of his window and looked out into the night sky, where once a year lights filled the sky.

He smiled and looked at the lights as they flew up into the sky, they only happened once a year and this one time happened to be on his birthday. He did not know why they were there, why the UK let them fly every year on this day, or how they even did it. From his view, he couldn't tell what they were. All he knew was that they were as bright as stars. _I feel like… their for me… _He thought. Francis had never told him about the lights, he had told him to never question about the UK, period.

That didn't stop him from wondering about it though…

OOO

Alfred sneaked into the small group of soldiers as they lined up to get ready to go. He put his uniform's hood on to cover his real face, along with a pair of glasses, and stood in line with the others. The leader of the group, Lukas, came out and inspected the small group. Looking at Emil, then Berwald, he stopped at Alfred though. Alfred stayed standing still and tall as Lukas noticed something about him, something similar. He seemed to ignore it and moved onto the next two men; Alfred felt so relieved inside. "Let's ride out men." Lukas hopped onto his horse and began to ride away to the village as did the other men, but for Alfred is was a bit harder because he had only rode a horse a few times as a child, never like this. He tried his best to get on, stay on, and follow. The gate opened to the United Kingdom's village, for the first time he could see the village of his people. He looked down among them, the village was simply beautiful. The house's were built strong and steady, most of them had a small garden out in front. The stores were lovely with people standing outside giving samples of their product or advertising to come in. He smiled at the people, the people his father has always protected, the people he would one day protect.

They came to the giant wall that separated the UK and Frandic Empire. He gulped a bit as the huge gate creaked open, the UK had control of it. Lukas rode in, along with the other men and Alfred. He followed into the empire, along the path that showed nothing but UK solider camps. "You are to follow me and help control one of the villages." Lukas called back to them. Alfred looked along at the wounded soldiers, the men who he had played with in the castle when he was little. He frowned a bit at the horror. Entering one of the villages of Frandic, his heart dropped more. The town was completely opposite from UK. It was destroyed, broken, the houses were small and only made to just be able to stand. Small tents stuck between some of the homes. There streets were dirt, children seemed to play in dirty puddles, the war had taken over this village the most; he could tell. Alfred wanted to cry, but he wouldn't.

"I-Is this the village?" Alfred called to Lukas.

"No," Lukas called back. "We have control over this village already. The one we are going for is north of this." Alfred nodded and continued following out to a forest that separated the villages. That was when it happened.

A group of armed Frandic citizens quickly attacked them, striking the man next to Alfred in the chest and causing him to fall off his horse. Panic stuck in as Emil pulled his musket out to shoot at them but only to be shot back at. The small group spread out and attacked them, shooting down Alfred's horse and causing him to fall off and almost crushed under the horse's weight. He quickly grabbed onto his musket that had fallen, tried his best to load it, and shot it off, hitting a woman who's knife almost hit him. He tried loading his musket again but then more attackers came out. "Retreat!" Lukas yelled as he shot off his own musket. In the middle of all this chaos, Alfred retreated the wrong way. As Lukas or the other men tried shooting back and hiding, Alfred ran.

He ran into the unknown forest, tripping over broken branches and falling into small rivers. He ran more and more, faster and faster, and the moment he looked back was his downfall; literally. He turned back to where he was going but it was too late, he quickly fell down the cliff below, though it didn't seem that high. He hit the ground hard but wasn't done as he rolled down the hill more and off another cliff into a small field.

Matthew carefully tried reaching into the small river for another fish, he had already caught two. Kumajirou jumped on in and began fishing himself, it was a competition between the two and it seemed Kumajirou was winning. Matthew finally caught another small one and picked it up. He opened his basket that held the vegetables he had picked from the forest and placed it in a container in there with the other two fish. He reached back in as Kumajirou decided to eat his next catch. Just then, the noises of the bushes moving caught the bear's attention and he growled. "Kuma?" Matthew questioned then he himself heard the noise. He turned around to the bushes moving like a snake was coming. What he expected next was nothing he ever thought and would change his life forever.

Alfred fell out of the bushed from where a small cliff ended, falling out onto the ground five feet below. Matthew gasped and stepped back, accidentally stepping into the water behind him, and looked at the boy who had fallen. Alfred didn't move, he was unconscious. He laid flat on his stomach with his hand sticking out next to him, his hood still on covering his face and his glasses now shattered. Matthew stood there in shock as Kumajirou only growled. "H-hey… a-are you okay?…" Matthew called but received no answer. He slowly stepped over to the boy, but seeing the UK uniform on him made him worry a bit.

"Don't get too close!" Kumajirou growled. "He's from the UK! He'll kill you!" Matthew gulped a bit and took another step closet to him. "Don't!"

"I-I'll just take his weapon." Matthew reached over for the musket beneath the boy, removing it from under him and throwing it away from him. Alfred twitched a bit but didn't wake up as Matthew reached down and took the knife from his pocket and threw it away too. Matthew tried shaking the boy. "H-hey are you okay?" He shook him a little more then went over to his basket to take out a glass cup. He put some water from the clean river into it and brought it back over to the boy, splashing some onto his face but didn't see any movement. He put the glass down and sat there confused on what to do next.

Alfred's eyes twitched and he suddenly jumped awake with the realization of what happened. He grabbed onto Matthew's shirt tight and coughed. "Get me water…" Alfred's voice was low.

"W-What?"

"Get me water!" He raised his voice high and let the boy go for him to stumble and refill the glass with water, which he did. He came back and handed Alfred the glass, which he drunk up quickly then splashed on his face. He took the shattered glasses off and threw them away, panting a bit to catch his breath and fully wake up with what had happened. He flung his hood off and looked toward the boy then paused, they both did.

_We look the same…. _

OOOOOOOOO

*stretch* updateee~ whew *w* so anyway~ yeah, there we go. They met and now its gonna get going wooO~


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He flung his hood off and looked toward the boy then paused, they both did.

_We look the same…. _

"I-….Is this some kind of joke! ?" Alfred yelled and backed up.

"P-Pardon me?…"

"You're mocking me aren't' you! ? Huh! Y-You little bastard!"

"Excuse me! ?" Matthew stood up and looked down at the prince. "I just helped you! And you're calling me a bastard! ? You're ungrateful! Who do you think you're talking to! ?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Alfred stood up and surpassed Matthew's height, only a few inches taller though. "I am royalty I'll have you know."

"I thought you were a solider?"

"I am!" Alfred reached down and picked up the bandana that had slipped out of his pocket during the fall. he wiped the blood off his face, clearing it away from the cuts around his eyes from the glasses. There weren't many, maybe a dozen of them. "I-I'm just an important one." Matthew raised an eyebrow.

"Oh I see…" He said suspiciously. Alfred turned away and gulped a bit but held his head high like he demanded something. "Why are you here anyway? A-Are you attacking someone?"

"Maybe we are, maybe we aren't." Alfred said. "I couldn't say."

"It's a village isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"That's what you guys do, you take over defenseless people and get them to their knees. You take everything away from them." Matthew glared as Alfred gulped a bit. "Their monsters, not you… you can't be a solider."

"Look thank you for helping me a bit, now tell me how to get back." Alfred quickly changed the subject, he couldn't tell him that he was the prince; the boy would be very frustrated then and probably leave him out in the woods or even bring him back and alert everyone… either way it would end badly for Alfred. The only thing he could do is _use_ the boy.

"Get back where?"

"T-To the UK military." Alfred turned back. Matthew crossed his arms and glared.

"Why would I do that?"

"Cause you're a kind person?" Alfred smiled nervously.

"When if I'm a kind person, you think I'm going to take you back to your military? I'll be arrested by you guys. I'm already in trouble for helping you now." Matthew gulped. "They will probably have my head for just doing this."

"Your king is cruel."

"So is yours." Matthew picked up his small bear and his basket. "Look, the roads connect to each village. Your base is where an old village used to be, you can follow the road to get there." He began to walk away. "Follow far behind."

"T-Thank you." Alfred covered his head with his hood again and followed the young boy. They were able to get away from that small river quickly, the area was pretty small. He followed the young boy through the woods, walking along a very thin dirt path that was probably made from the citizens. Alfred hated the bugs that flew around him, he wasn't used to all of them, especially when they bit him; it annoyed the hell out of him. But the walk was silent, and that's not what Alfred enjoyed.

Everyday in the castle it was quiet. If his father was there, usually there would be some chaos with him yelling at the soldiers who messed up. If he wasn't, it was utter silence and Alfred hated it. He would listen to some kind of music from the music box he had since he was a kid. But now, it was silent… until he heard the song again…

The boy hummed as he walked, but the sound of it sounded so familiar, Alfred couldn't shake the feeling he knew it. It hit him, that was the song from the music box! He listened to the boy hum it and realized it… it was the same melody, only without the words that he would sing along. Alfred quickly pounced toward the boy, Matthew turned around once he heard Alfred's pace pick up, and Alfred quickly shoved the boy into a tree with his hands around the boy's throat. Matthew's eyes widened in fear, he knew he shouldn't of trusted him!… but..

"That song! The song you're humming!" Alfred yelled. "It has words right? You're singing the words in your head? How do you know it! ?"

"W-What are you-"

"The lyrics! Tell me the lyrics!" Alfred growled. "Tell me them! From the beginning!"

"B-Blades are dripping with crimson blood, e-ending suffering I can't stop, I wish I could help," Matthew gulped, he couldn't remember most of the song. "I will not fade, I will step up. I'll find out the true meaning of sacrifice. L-let me… be your hero…"

Alfred stared at Matthew. The lyrics, they were close to the same song his mother used to sing to him… the song Alice picked up when he was born. They were too close, he couldn't understand. "H-How do you know that song?"

"I-I've known it since I was a child…"

"That's impossible. That song had been passed down in my family for years, not outside person knows it except the family's bloodline. Its impossible for you to know it unless you were-… unless you were the child or sibling of the king…"

"So what? You're calling me your brother or your cousin?" Matthew pushed Alfred away once Alfred loosened his grip. "It's probably just a misunderstanding here."

"W-Well… I mean…" Alfred's thoughts ran wild. "It's possible… I-I used to have a brother, a twin brother. They told me he died at birth though."

"Then he died, its not me trust me." Matthew picked up the little bear and basket he had dropped when Alfred pushed him and started to walk away. "I've been here for as long as I can remember."

"What if they lied to me?… w-what if he lived and…" Alfred stood still as Matthew slowed back to a stop and turned to Alfred. "You look just like me. You have to admit this is really weird…. W-…what's your name anyway?…"

"Matthew."

Alfred's eyes widened a little more. "My brother who "died" had a name that started with an M, I remember that much."

"Your memory is probably just fuzzy." Matthew turned away from Alfred.

"Think about it! You look like me, your name starts with an M, h-how old are you?"

"Nineteen." Matthew gulped and looked back at him. Alfred's mouth dropped. "D-Don't tell me your…"

"I'm turning nineteen tomorrow. I-if we don't have the same birthday but its just too close it's possible that yours was just changed!"

"N-no. My birthday is my birthday. That's all." Matthew said. "I was born on the first, you're on the fourth."

"The first is when someone was kidnapped in my family!" Alfred shouted. "I-I don't know who but I've heard the guards talk about it! M-My dad and the village light lanterns into the sky for this person." Matthew froze… it couldn't be possible… "What about your parents? You have parents?

"Y-yeah," Matthew gulped. "I have my father."

"No other siblings?"

"N-no."

"Does he ever talk about your mother or when you were a baby?"

"N-no…" Matthew gulped again, it couldn't be true…

"It's possible Mat… y-you could be…" Alfred's voice dropped as Matthew turned away.

"L-Let's just go to the village… I can ask there…" His legs felt weak with the thoughts of everything being a lie, that nothing was true. Francis wasn't his father, that wasn't his home, this wasn't where he was born, nothing was true… just thinking about it made his heart ache.

They quickly hurried to the neighboring village, though something didn't seem right. Matthew stopped outside the entrance of the small village, Alfred looked in. "Well are we going?" Alfred poked his arm but Matthew only continued to stare toward the village, seeing people outside their houses completely still… there's no way that was normal. Something… something was wrong!

"Back up a bit." Matthew grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back behind a tree, continuing to look at the village. "Something's not right…" The two looked at the peaceful village suddenly turned dark.

Gun shots echoed around, shooting off in every direction. Flames suddenly caught onto houses, the screams the people echoed around with the shots of the guns. They could see the still people quickly run as soldiers on horses came riding through, Alfred could see Lukas on the front horse; Alfred quickly hid. He looked over at Matthew, the frightened boy couldn't take his eyes off the chaos as he saw one by one his neighbors and friends being shot or surrendering. "Papa…" He whispered and shivered.

"We need to go. If they find you, you'll be attacked like them and won't let you surrender cause you hid." Alfred grabbed onto his arm. "Come on let's go." He tried pulling the boy but he wouldn't move.

"You… you were attacking my village…" Matthew looked at Alfred. "That's why you were…" Tears filled his eyes.

"Come on Mat." Alfred finally got the boy to move his feet and run, dropping his basket and running with Kumajirou only in his arms as he followed Alfred. They ran the same way they came, only taking more turns to get away. Soon, the sounds of gun fire was gone but the moment Matthew looked up toward the sky he saw it was already covered in the black smoke burning from his home. Alfred held onto Matthew's hand to pull him, the boy stopped running at some points only to have Alfred force him again. Alfred could see the great wall separating the two kingdoms, he knew it would be safe now. "I might be able to get them open…" Alfred placed his hand on the wooden wall. "Then get help huh?" He looked back toward Matthew who stood clutching onto Kumajirou with a blank face and a stiff body.

Suddenly he collapsed to his knees and burst into tears. His body shook as he hugged onto the bear in his arms. Alfred stood there not knowing what to do, he simply watched as the boy cried. He took a step toward Matthew and bent down to him as he continued to sniffle and cry. "H-Hey…" Alfred put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Listen, you could have been back there… but you're fine…"

"But they…" Matthew chocked out. "They…"

"It's over. Nothing you can do about it." He stood back up tall again. "Look… you can't go back now… c-come with me… we can go to the castle and we can figure out if you really are…" He stopped when he saw Matthew put his head down, putting his face into the fur of his bear. Alfred stood there silently now.

"Yeah… we should do that…" Matthew whispered. Alfred smiled softly and reached his hand down for the boy. Matthew slowly lifted his heavy head up and looked at the hand, then up at Alfred. He grabbed on and Alfred pulled him up to his feet. "I-Is that a hole?" He noticed in the wall. Alfred blinked and looked over, he was right, there was a gap in the wall. It was low and went underground… it must have been a way in, a way into the UK! Alfred wasn't sure wither he should be happy or worried but for now it was their way home.

"Come on Mat."

"It's Matthew, not Mat." He finally corrected.

"Whatever." Alfred jumped into the hole. Matthew carefully came over and looked down first, seeing Alfred was already going ahead with out him. Matthew turned and looked back at the forest, black smoke crept it's way through. He frowned then took a deep breath and jumped into the hole, following Alfred through the short but very dark tunnel until they got to the other side, in which Alfred pulled him out.

The minute they got over though, guards quickly surrounded them.

OOO

Alfred marched in, ignoring the crowd of guards around him and Matthew leading them inside. Alfred looked up as he could see his father standing there with several other captains. The second he heard the door open though, he turned toward Alfred and the others. Alfred took a last step and stood in front of his father, who angrily stared at him. Alfred closed his eyes, thinking he was at least going to be hit but instead he froze when Arthur hugged onto him. "I was so worried about you!" He said. Alfred frowned and hugged his father back, he knew he caused some heart ache.

"I'm sorry… I-I don't know what got into me…" Alfred said.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Arthur inspected the boy for wounds, "Did they hurt you?"

"No one hurt me, no one took me, I just got separated."

"And who is that?" Arthur pointed to Matthew, who had cloaked himself in Alfred's hooded-cloak. Matthew looked up under the hood toward Arthur, he felt like he had seen the king before… He gulped.

OOOO

*whew* meeeh *falls over* slowly getting into it!

I finally found the song! It is England's song from HetaOni, but the lyric one! _**Lia1291**_ is the name of the girl who does it! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"And who is that?" Arthur pointed to Matthew, who had cloaked himself in Alfred's hooded-cloak. Matthew looked up under the hood toward Arthur, he felt like he had seen the king before… He gulped. "Who are you, boy?"

"I-…" Matthew started to speak but the stares from the guards made him nervous. They must of known he wasn't from this kingdom, they must of.

"Who is he? Frandic boy?" Arthur questioned.

"Father, you told me I once had a little brother." Alfred looked up toward the king and stated. "What happened to him?" Arthur's eyes widened slightly but he stood his ground and attitude.

"I told you, he died with your mother." He said, "During birth."

"Are you lying to me still?"

"I-I never did lie!"

"If my brother didn't die, he would be nineteen years old like me, he would look like me, his name would have been Matthew right?" Alfred looked toward Matthew, "He would have been found in some other empire…"

"Alfred silence!" Arthur yelled.

"Father," Alfred walked around to Matthew, grabbing onto the hood off of Matthew's head. "Tell me this doesn't look like your son, my twin." Arthur stayed still before taking a breath out. "Tell the truth father…"

Alright..." Arthur gulped a bit and looked again at the boy. "Your brother never died, at least not in birth anyway... He was stolen just three days before he turned a second age... June 1st," Matthew's eyes widened a bit_, his birthday..._

"M-Ma-," Matthew's voice creaked out.

"Go ahead boy."

"May I ask... What the lights are on that day, t-that night?"

Arthur took a deep breath and let it out "For my missing son. Our cities light candles in the morning for him, then send them into the sky as lanterns." He looked at Matthew once more. "It was hope that he would return one day." Matthew nodded, now he knew. "Why?"

"J-June first is my birthday..." He gulped. Arthur took a few steps closer to him.

"My sons names were Alfred and Matthew." He spoke as he came closer to Matthew, "They looked alike in many ways. Alfred was older with a more dirtier blonde hair, and his eyes were more blue." Arthur stood in front of Matthew and placed a hand gently onto his face and carefully looked at him; Matthew gulped a bit. "Matthew was the youngest, a miracle baby. He had bright blonde hair that was tainted slightly with orange," he put a finger through Matthew's hair then slid it down his face. "His eyes were a bright violet..." he looked into Matthew's violet eyes... he couldn't be...

Matthew looked at Arthur, his own emerald eyes being so _familiar. _He wanted to tear up and cry, but he wouldn't do that, not now. His bottom lip quivered slightly but he held it in, along with the truth. He stood in disbelief, _there's no way! T-There's no way I...I belong here?... My life was an entire lie?... F-Father... isn't mine..._

"He knows the song too, the lullaby mo- Alice used to sing to us." Alfred came in "Not all of it but he knows most of it."

"That's a family song, no one knows it so how would you?" Arthur's eyes pierced though Matthew's soul, he was angry and Matthew knew that.

"I-I've known it since I was little..." Matthew gulped.

"How old are you now?"

"N-nineteen sir."

Arthur's mouth almost dropped with his wide eyed expression. He gulped, regained his composure, and looked toward Alfred. He knew his own age. "Alice..." He looked away toward the nanny who quickly came over and looked at Matthew.

"The prince had a small birthmark that looked like a leaf on his shoulder blade." Alice stated. Matthew gasped silently a bit, he could remember a memory where one of his childhood friends noticed the mark when they had gone swimming. He knew it was there, he just couldn't believe it. "Do you mind... undressing? Just your shirt if you may." Matthew gulped a bit and began lifting his dirty shirt up, his hands shaking a bit with the realization. _No... This can't be true... I can't be... _He lifted his shirt off and turned to show them his bare back. _I can't be..._

"My son..." Arthur's eyes were wide as he looked at Matthew, who lowered his shirt back down to cover himself again. He turned back and looked at the no longer composed king as he quickly hugged onto his long lost son, even binging to cry. "You're here! You're alive!" Matthew stood there not knowing what to do, but the embracement felt so natural to him. He raised his hands slightly slowly then wrapped his arms around his father, one he had barely remembered. He hugged on tightly as his eyes began to tear up, this was his home... This was his father... That was his brother... This was his true life, taken away from him for so long.

He sobbed.

ooOoo

_"Prince Matthew has returned to the United Kingdom!" _

Once that sentence was out, the people of the kingdom cheered with excitement and happiness. People brought flowers to the gates or the castle, the candles were sent up into the sky not for the lost prince's life, but for the new ones. Matthew followed his new father and brother along the path to the villages, he followed behind in new clothes he had never seen before in his life. All of this felt so... _Strange... _But at the same time, natural.

He couldn't figure out what to make out of the people that praised him and his return, young ladies found him charming, children offered flowers and toys to him. And he was kind to each of them, each and every one of them for the first week of his return. He was loved, he wasn't sure how to feel about it but he supposed he was to love them back, people he never met before.

"One week here and I'm still completely lost around here," Matthew whispered to himself as he turned a corner of the castle, leading himself to another hallway he had no idea about. He sighed a bit, "This place is huge..." He looked around concerned on where to go next.

"Are you lost prince?" A relaxed voice called for him. He quickly turned around a bit scared of who called him but it was simply Alice. "Do you need assistance?"

"Y-yes please..."

"Very well, just follow me love," she walked as Matthew quickly came up behind her and followed back to his room, simply a guest room right now. She brought him down hallways and upstairs, all quietly. "You don't speak much do you Matthew?" Alice asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I-I do," Matthew looked toward her "I just don't know if there's r-rules or something..." His voice got quiet as he spoke.

"I understand this is a lot to adapt to Matthew," Alice spoke softly "I know you're not used to any of this and that's just fine, no one expects you to just jump on into all of this." Matthew smiled a bit with the comforting words.

"Thank you Miss. Alice..."

"No problem my dear,"

"Miss. Alice... Can I ask a question?"

"Matthew, you _are _the prince of this castle. Ask what you want."

"Were you... My..."

"Mother? Oh no dear, I'm not your mother. I took care of you and Alfred when you were babies, even now I sill care for Alfred." Alice said, "Your real mother's name was Amelia. She was beautiful and she loved you both very much."

"And she... Died right?"

"Yes, during birth. It was a sad day for us... Especially for the king." Alice said. Matthew nodded a bit and looked away with sad eyes. Now that he had met the king- his father- he regretted many things he had said in the past with the other Frandic villagers. _"The UK king has no heart" _or "_The king is the cruelest"_ or even _"The king doesn't love or care for anyone, no one!" _But when he was hugged by the king, he realized all were lies. Arthur had never forgotten him, nor lost any love for him... Nor healed his broken heart. He had heard some tales of how in love the king and queen were, Matthew couldn't imagine the pain his father went through... He felt _sorry _for him...

"Here we are," Alice spoke again as they came to one of the top floor hallways.

"Just down the hall and to the left right?"

"You would be correct young sir."

"Great, thank you!" Matthew took off down the hallway as Alice went back down the stairs, but Mathew paused and turned back before she could close the door behind her. "One more question."

"Go ahead dear," Alice looked back toward him.

"Were there... Any prisoners taken from Frandic... The day I came back?"

Alice thought a moment then looked back at him again. "Yes... You're looking for your... Family aren't you?" Matthew nodded slightly. Alice sighed then rubbed the back of her neck for a moment. "I can take you to them in the morning, it's a secret though dear."

"R-really?"

"Yes prince, of course. It'll have to be our little secret though."

"Y-yes ma'am! Thank you!" Matthew grinned then quickly ran off to his room. Alice smiled a bit then closed the door and down the stairs,

"At least this one is better behaved."

ooOoo

Early morning, Matthew followed Alice through more wondering halls down to the basement of the castle, the dungeon. He gulped a bit looking among the creepy cracking walls. Once they came to the prison, he was shaken up. He looked among the cages of people, just ordinary people. Men, women, children, all captured inside these cages, all covered in dirty rags of clothing and dirt. Matthew couldn't look at them, pale and weak people...

"They are war prisoners," Alice whispered to him "If their charges are cleared, they can leave."

"How long does that take?..."

"... Months..."Alice answered, Matthew frowned. She brought him through another door to a new section of cages. He looked finally as he saw familiar faces, the people from his village... All of them dirtied and in rags.

"P-papa!" Matthew called once he saw Francis and quickly ran to the bars of the cage, right in front of Francis.

"M-Matthieu!" Francis quickly came to the bars "Oh Matthieu!" his hands reached out for the boy who grabbed onto them tightly as his eyes began to tear.

"A-are you alright?" He looked around a bit toward the other villagers then to Francis' eyes. "How did they capture you?"

"They lined us up then just took us..." Francis gulped "Some of them were killed on spot... I'm glad you're alright Matthieu..."

"And he's the damn prince of the UK!" One of the older twins said, named Lovino.

"L-Lovino don't start..." The younger brother tried to stop him but Lovino wouldn't let it go.

"This whole time you've been of the UK and we never knew! We used to play together as kids and I never knew who you really were!"

"I didn't know either!" Matthew teared up. "I didn't know my entire like Lovino! I had no idea! No clue at all! I-I never knew who was my family or not or where I lived or where I was suppose to live!" He wanted to sob again. "I didn't know anything!"

"Matthieu," Francis grabbed onto the boys sleeve and hushed him. "I'm sorry, this isn't fault."

"You aren't my father..."

"... No. I'm not..."

"Why... What is all this huh?..."

Francis let out a sigh and grabbed onto the boy's hands gently, "I'll tell you." He waited until Matthew bent down to his level. "I wanted revenge on the UK... Myself and someone very close to us broke into the UK walls. I stayed close to your mother when she was pregnant with you and your brother. I watched your birth... You almost didn't make it my boy..." He cleared his throat a bit and looked at Matthew's sorrow filled face. "I stayed there for the next two years. Before your second birthday... We took you. We had a plan with the king, to take the head of one of the new princes to attack the UK at its core-"

"You were going to kill me..."

"... Yes. That was the plan... But... I held you and I saw you and I couldn't to it. You were a child, just a child, and you reminded me of someone..."

"S-someone?"

"My love... Her name was Joan..." Francis started "I loved her dearly, and she loved children. She was kind, religious, enough to get me to believe in God. She wanted to have a child with me, we were going to marry... She wanted a little boy..." He smiled slightly with the memory. "But... The UK army came in one day... She used to be in a secret rebellion movement, they would cause riots and chaos in the villages of the UK... She was wanted. She settled down with me, but they found her... They took her back to the UK, and god knows i tried to save her... They burned her to death... The king and his men... They burned a fugitive... Alive... And she bravely facing her death..." He wiped his tears from his eyes and looked down. "I wanted to avenge her... I took you... But when I looked at you, you reminded me so much of her... She never wanted to see a child hurt, she believed children had the right to have a life and live it... And you... You were her..." He gulped "you grew up and every moment you remind me of her..." He looked into straight into Mathew's eyes, "You were our son..."

"I always will be..." Matthew said without thinking.

"No, you're the king's son, not mine. I'm sorry for rewriting your life."

"You probably have me so much more there than here papa," Matthew kissed Francis' hand as the only place he could right now. "I'm going to get you and everyone else back home, I promise."

"Don't promise something you can't keep..."

"I promise papa." Matthew said surely, "I will." He kissed his hand away and let go, going back to Alice as she stood there both surprised and sorrow filled of what she just heard. She opened the door back out to the rest of the prison and led him out.

"Some of us won't make it though..."

Francis turned back to the rest of the prisoners, just as Arthur slipped away from his hiding place...


End file.
